The present invention relates to a lift and tilt adjustment device for a boat outboard motor.
Devices for lifting outboard motors and adjusting their tilt have been known for some time; for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,032,094 describes a device in which the lifting and adjustment members are rigidly connected together.
In these known devices, when the lifting member has to be replaced, for example due to damage or the need to use a member with different technical characteristics, the tilt adjustment members connected to the lifting member also have to be replaced. This negatively affects the time and costs involved in maintaining the devices and obliges the device vendor and/or user to hold a large assortment of devices presenting combinations of lifting and adjustment members with different technical characteristics, such as different lengths of the lifting bar, or different lifting capacities.
Other known devices present separate lifting and adjustment members; however, in this case the means feeding the pressurized fluid for operating said members are rigidly connected to one of said members, said means being connected to the other member by pipes external to the device, which can suffer damage or deterioration due to the stresses induced in said pipes by the rotation of the members, and/or by accidental impact or other stresses (such as rust, or climatic conditions).
An object of the present invention is to provide a lifting and tilt adjustment device for a boat outboard motor which overcomes the drawbacks of known devices and, in particular, enables the lifting and adjustment members to be replaced independently of each other, while at the same time connecting the pressurized fluid feed means to these members by elements which are protected in such a manner as not to be able to undergo damage by the movement of these members or by external agents.
This and further objects which will be apparent to an expert of the art are attained by a device in accordance with the invention disclosed herein.